Morning.
The one place to start out this morning is the damage suffered by Martin Odegaard throughout Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria. The captain’s foot obtained caught in a problem, and in the event you watch the video, you’ll be able to see his ankle twist proper beneath him, earlier than snapping again.
Ødegaard off with an nasty damage. Screaming in ache. Would not look good in any respect.
Hate internationals with a ardour 🤬🤬pic.twitter.com/SfRgnRoEAn
— 🇳🇴 kimmoFC (@kimmoFC) September 9, 2024
He clearly knew it was a nasty one, and got here off after some remedy. Proper now, now we have nothing a lot to go on as a result of it’s nonetheless so quickly after the damage. It might probably take a day or two to get the knowledge we want, however it didn’t look good in any respect, and if he obtained away with out damaging his ankle ligaments to some extent I might be completely amazed. I’d even be astonished if he have been accessible for Sunday’s North London derby, including to Mikel Arteta’s midfield headache.
Norway boss, Stale Solbakken, reasonably blithely mentioned on TV afterwards:
We all know it was an ankle sprain. With luck it may possibly prove OK, if the ligaments aren’t torn, however I’m probably not positive Arteta will name me tonight to reward me.
Since Declan Rice’s pink card in opposition to Brighton the dialogue has been about how we configure the workforce with out him, however the concept that we’ll doubtless must go there with out him and Odegaard appears fairly merciless. There’s no Fabio Vieira after his mortgage to Porto was sanctioned, Mikel Merino is injured after his unlucky collision in coaching, and choices are restricted. Step ahead Ethan Nwaneri, I suppose – if you take a look at the squad and who might probably are available in and do one thing much like what the captain does, he’s the apparent alternative. It’s quite a bit to ask of a 17 12 months outdated although, and little question the midfield dialogue will proceed all through the week.
I’ve seen loads of speak about how Arsenal ought to by no means have allowed Odegaard to go away with Norway, having taken a heavy kick within the Brighton sport – and I get that utterly. I want we have been a bit extra cynical in that regard, however it’s vital to acknowledge this can be a two-way avenue. Gamers wish to play for his or her international locations, and in the event you insist they sit video games out after they really feel they’re alright to play, you danger damaging your relationship with them.
For all of the speak of what different golf equipment do on this regard, Man Metropolis despatched their solely striker away to play two video games for Norway throughout this Interlull. Possibly they obtained fortunate Erling Haaland didn’t get injured, possibly we obtained unfortunate Odegaard did, however you’ll be able to’t simply ignore a participant’s needs. Possibly we should be extra persuasive, possibly we will do extra, however it’s actually not so simple as simply saying no – and I feel it’s additionally vital to notice that the gamers themselves have some duty right here too.
For me, the larger concern is what the hell we want these internationals for simply three video games into a brand new season, and why are there nonetheless no mechanisms that put some duty on nationwide associations for the welfare of gamers? Golf equipment pay tens of thousands and thousands of kilos in switch charges for footballers, on prime of huge wages/bonuses and so on, who’re then capable of be plucked away by set-ups that are, in some circumstances, little greater than newbie.
The supervisor or head coach doesn’t have to fret about whether or not Martin Odegaard is match for the derby, or our first Champions League sport away at Atlanta, or our journey the next weekend to Man Metropolis … as soon as he’s match once more for the subsequent set of internationals. It’s superb to me that there isn’t a approach for golf equipment to be correctly compensated when gamers get injured on worldwide responsibility. Why isn’t there a check-list which entails gamers, golf equipment and nationwide associations which assesses danger? If a nationwide workforce chooses to play somebody who’s carrying a knock, or enjoying via the ache to extent, they assume a punitive monetary danger if that participant will get an damage which retains them sidelined for his or her membership.
I do know it’s the form of factor that would simply be abused, relying as it might on full disclosure from all events always, however when now we have these conversations about participant welfare, certainly one thing like this must be a part of it. The fact is we’re by no means going to have much less soccer than we do now. Soccer as a cash making machine calls for an increasing number of, from golf equipment and the likes of UEFA and FIFA. If we’re going to criticise the expanded Champions League format and nonsense just like the Membership World Cup and all these pointless internationals as rising the calls for on gamers, then now we have acknowledge that golf equipment enjoying high-profile ‘friendlies’ in pre-season as cash making workout routines are a part of this too. There are parts which are worse than others, however that is one thing everybody who works within the sport has some duty in the direction of.
It’s a dialogue we had on the Arsecast Further yesterday, and the one actual answer is larger squads. It’s one thing Mikel Arteta has mentioned greater than as soon as, as a result of he is aware of you’ll be able to’t put the genie again within the bottle now. So, being pragmatic, a bigger squad is all you realistically ask. I feel it’s abundantly clear proper now that the present schedule asks an excessive amount of of the highest gamers within the 25 man squad period. Even with the power to make use of extra subs, even with the enhancements in health/private coaching and so on, the sport is asking an excessive amount of of them, and the unhappy actuality is that the gamers pay the worth.
Golf equipment and followers will really feel like they endure too, which is honest sufficient, however in the end it’s the man whose ankle sprains, whose ACL ruptures, whose hamstring goes twang, that basically feels it. He’s the one who misses enjoying, he’s the one whose profession can take a left flip from one second on the pitch. Let’s not additionally ignore the truth that we wish high-quality soccer on a regular basis, and we’re asking gamers who’re being run into the bottom to carry out at a excessive stage in each single sport, and that’s not practical both. The general high quality of the sport is one other consideration, if you wish to step again a bit.
So, all we will do that morning is hope that Odegaard’s damage isn’t as severe because it seems, and that the gamers now we have remaining on worldwide responsibility make it via their video games secure and sound. After that, how now we have a severe dialog about all of that is past me, as a result of there are simply too many vested pursuits pulling in reverse instructions.
It has to occur although, it must occur quickly, however I received’t maintain my breath. Until tomorrow.
